EWR is a rare green jewel offering sanctuary to wildlife amongst many acres of urban built-up land.  This 1.5 acre parcel of land is special because for almost 50 years it has been left virtually shut off from human disturbance and interference and as a result nature has very successfully reclaimed it for herself.  

Managed Parks or Human Recreational Areas like Alexandra Park and Edgeley Park, whilst beautiful and immensely helpful for human mental health and well-being, cannot be categorised as sanctuaries for wildlife in the same way as EWR. In percentage terms, less than 4% of the entire surface area of Edgeley is capable of supporting wildlife habitat to any consistent, self-sustainable or meaningful degree and here it is.

Now covered in years’ worth of soil build-up, brambles, woodland and grassland, EWR provides fantastic habitat. The whole site is teeming with invertebrates (worms, slugs, beetles, insects, spiders, butterflies, moths, centipedes and millipedes) it has them all in unprecedented numbers. The security afforded by being fenced off, and the brambles and shrubs, along with all the invertebrates and trees, has made EWR special to Edgeley.